Apparatus for circulating and mixing crushed ore.



-N0'791872 l N PATENTBD JUNEVG,1905'. f y F. c. BROWN. APPARATUS FOR GI'RGULANIING AND MIXING GRUSHED ORE.

' `NPPLIGATIONFILED.JAN.a,1995,

UNITED STATES Patented June 6, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK CAPEL BROWN, OE KOMA'IA, NEW ZEALAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,872, dated J' une 6, 1905.

I Application filed January 3, 1905. Serial No. 239,499.

' To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it -known that I, FREDERICK .CAPEL BROWN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Komata,in the Provincial District of Auckland and Colony of New Zealand, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Apparatus for Circulating and Mixing Crushed Ore or other Materials in a Liquid 0r Semiliquid State, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved apparatus for circulating,` agitating, and mixing crushed ore or the like in a liquid or semiliquid state by compressed air or gas, particularly adapted for use in metallurgy for treating sand or slimes or mixtures of the same, as required in the cyanid or other processes for the extracting or depositing of gold, silver, and other metals, though it may be used for other purposes, if required.

Heretofore many attempts have been made by the use of compressed air or gas to obtain an agitator which will not require revolving arms or fliers or other mechanical means as their agitating medium, so that the costly machinery necessary to work or rotate the same might be dispensed with. Such attempts,

however, so far as I am aware, have not been successful, particularly for treating sandsin metallurgical operations,unless the latter contained a large proportion of slimes, the air or gas usually finding its way through the material without properly agitating and mixing,

it, the tests having shown that the solution which collected at the bottom of the tank differedin strength and-value from that at the top. According to my invention'I overcome these objections and construct an agitator for the treatment of sand or slimes or mixtures of sand with slimes.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation of one form of agitator. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the lower portion of the same drawn to an enlarged scale. Eig. 3 is a plan of the cone shown in Fig. 2.

The agitator is a tall cylindrical vertical tank or vessel A, in which is centrally mounted or held in position a material-conducting tube or pipe B, which extends upwardly from near the bottom 'of the tank or vessel to a point near the upper part or top of such tank.

vC is a pipe for introducing liquid near the .bottom of the said tank. D is a pipe for introducing liquid into the central pipe. E is a discharge-pipe. F is an air-pipe. G is a circular pipe for distributing liquid in tank. The lower part of the said tank is conical, as shown at A', and the bottom thereof has fitted thereto a cap or other closing device for emptying the tank, and, if desired, it can be arrange to act as a concentrator.

In the upper portion of the conical part of the tankA and encircling the tube or pipe B devices are provided for allowing the conical sides of the tank to'be kept iiushed with water Vor solution as and when required. The said devices may comprise in some instances one 'or more circular tubes or pipes having nozzles or taps which cause the liquid to impinge upon the interior of the conical part of the tank. The bottom of the said central tube or pipe B also has an air-supply pipe E in communication therewith, so as to admit air into the said central tube or pipe in the manner hereinafter explained.

J denotes a sectional decanting-pipe of any suitable construction, and J2 denotes a plurality of stay -rods acting as a suspension means for the pipeV B.

The material to be treated can either be pumped in at the bottom of the vessel or filled in at the top-that is to say, in the annular space between the central tube or pipe B and the vwall of the tank A. y y

In operation the tank is lled with material usually in a more or less semiliquid state. It is allowed to settle in the tank, so as to drain 0H the top liquid which collects during the settlement of the material. After the withdrawal of the top liquid sulicient space is left for the subsequent solution and washes required. Solution or liquid is then introduced pressed air is then admitted to the said central pipe through the aforesaid air-admission tube or tubesF, with the result that a mixture of sand, solution, and air rises through and is discharged from the top of the central pipe B. The solution or liquid issuing from the circular pipeG through-the small pipes, spouts or nozzles, or other devices Gr" impinges on the sides or wall of the conical part of the tank and causes the body of they sand or like material in the tank to settle down, the whole charge becoming a homogeneous mixture of solution and sand, as it is drawn into the bottom of the central tube or pipeand delivered at the top of the tank so rapidly that no opportunity to settle is afforded. As soon as the surface of the mixture in the (tank has risen to the top of the central pipe B the solution is shut off from the circular pipe G, and the circulation of the mixture will go on as long as required by the agency of the compressed air or gas. Afterl the agitation has once been started a perfect circulation is obtained. When the material has circulated for asucient length of time, thev ai-r is shut off andl theeharge allowed to settle, when the solution is decanted od. Lime may be added to the solution to accelerate the settling of the slimes. InA discharging the tank it is only necessary to open the discharge gate or pipe, as will be readily understood, and to pass water through the circular pipe, so as to thoroughly ush the tank. In some instances I may fit the upper part of the said central tube or pipe B with a removable cap or other closing device K for preventing material falling back into thesaid central pipe. The said central pipe may also be tted with appropriate deflectors or other devices to direct the particles of sand or other material which issues from the central pipe B well away from the discharge of such central tube.

In some cases I may provide the tan-k with an interior vessel or chamber which has nozzles or apertures for the admission of liquid to the conical part of the tank. The said interior vessel is placed in communication with the common supply of liquid or solution and may be used instead of or in addition to the circular tube or pipes above described. The Said interior vessel may be fitted to the tank in any appropriate manner and may, if preferred, be made in one piece with the said tan-k.

According to my invention it will be found that a thorough agitation of every particle of the material in solution with the air is effected and a better settlement on account of the depth of the tank is attained.

. The said apparatus is simple in construction, and therefore economical to manufacture. rhere are no wearing parts to get out of or- A further advantage of my invention is that the apparatus can stand on a very small space. Large or small plants may be equally well handled, and very little power is required for the compression of the air or gas except just at the starting of the agitation.

It will be found that according to my invention sand and slimes can be more effectively treated than heretofore.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, ism

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a tank having a conical bottom and adapted to receive the material to be treated, ay conducting-pipe suspended central-ly therein, pipes arranged within the tank for discharging iiuid therein near the bottom thereof to bring the material to a iuid state, and means for discharging air into the tank at the bottom thereof for forcing the material up through and out of said pipe into the tank.

2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a tank adapted to receive the material to be treated, a centrally-arranged material-conducting pipe suspended therein and terminating at a point removed from the bottom thereof, means arranged in operative relation with respect to the pipe and adapted to supply a medium for forcing the material up through and out of said pipe and into the tank, and a fluid-supply pipe opening into said conducting-pipe.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 15th day of December, 1904.

FREDERICK CAPEL BROWN.

Witnesses:

ALBERT JAMES LoviNe'roN, GoDEFRoI DREW INGALI.. 

